The ABCs of Them
by InsidiousPlusFreaky
Summary: Short story on each alphabet from A to Z. Mainly Cara and Kahlan. How all of it started and how it would go from there. There could be fluffy, humor, angst, or something like that along the line. Unpredictable ideas, and you're welcome to share your thoughts too. Read & Review!
1. A

**AN: There's nothing much to say, except that this work is non-beta'd, and reviews are welcomed. Have a good day y'all.**

**Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN THE CHARACTERS AT ALL.**

* * *

**Affection**

The one thing that the proud Mord'Sith had never considered ever since the last piece of her childhood memories were violently taken away from her was the feeling of affection.

It's true that she once felt a small portion of affection for Leo; and after a quite unfortunate event, her chance to tell the said man about what she felt was ripped out from her by Nicci; when she conjured a fiery bolt that was meaning to be directed to the Mother Confessor, but intercepted by Leo- and it killed him.

She did mourn for him, in her own way of course. Her words that laced with biting sarcasms, the ignorant look she gave instead of rolling her eyes per usual, silence that had more intensity than before- if her traveling companion noticed these little details; they would definitely know.

That moment was so exhausting, uncomfortable, distracting and painful- not that she didn't welcome all of that as a Mord'Sith; but when those attributes attacked her emotions, _which she really hoped that she had them under control_, she wasn't as strong as she thought.

That's why she swore that she never would've succumbed to any other types of affections. They were pointless for one to have.

But then, there was the Mother Confessor of the Midlands; a Mord'Sith sworn enemy.

And she managed to break Cara's personal oath to herself.

Not directly, of course; but by bits and pieces, she managed to crawl subtly inside the blonde's defenses. It started with a look, a tilt of her head, a tense scrutiny, the touch of her hand to her throat, and soon after; Cara found herself allowing the unfamiliar but friendly gestures that the Mother Confessor always keen of giving her- not even minding how much Cara displayed her discomfort towards those touches.

The Mord'Sith had shown plenty of glares and disapproving looks whenever her counterpart tried to touch her; but damn the Creator, the brunette never relents.

And in the end, Cara had been the one surrendering to those interactions.

Cara told herself that it's not because she was going soft- _Creator, no-_ but because the Mother Confessor was a sly woman who managed to manipulate her into succumbing to her wishes, and also because her Lord Rahl constantly nagging her to protect his future wife as though she is himself. As a proud Mord'Sith, the thought of being manipulated by others rather than the alternate was too much of a shame she could handle. But at least, it was better than the second explanation;

_Ugh, even want to say it out loud also felt too ridiculous for her._

So the Mord'Sith settled by blaming Kahlan on what she was very unwillingly felt. Hence the heavy scowl on her lips and the intense frown on her eyebrows.

"Today is a good day, isn't it?" A question that was presumably directed to her by the Mother Confessor near her, since both the Wizard and the Seeker were few meters in front of them.

"Whatever it is that you predict, Mother Confessor."

The reply was cold itself, with the addition of the use of Kahlan's title. And that didn't make the Confessor happy in the slightest. But assuming that maybe Cara had her own issue, Kahlan dismissed it and try to ask her what she wanted to do now; since they have defeated the Keeper.

"I will go wherever the Lord Rahl asks me to."

"Don't you have something that you've always wanted to do?"

"I do. And I am doing it. Serving Lord Rahl."

"So you have wished to serve _the _Lord Rahl ever since you were born?"

Getting infuriated by the endless questions by the Mother Confessor, the Mord'Sith abruptly stopped in her tracks; which soon followed by the brunette. Turning her head sharply towards her counterpart, Cara spat: "What do you want?"

The sudden unexplainable hostility shocked Kahlan, before it also riled her up in irritation; "I was just trying to make a conversation. Why do you have to be this way?"

"I have always been this way."

Kahlan narrowed her eyes, staring right through Cara's, portraying that she was definitely unhappy towards the way she behaved.

Understanding the look that was given to her all too well, Cara lifted her chin before bringing it down slowly; a quiet challenge for the Confessor to decline what she had said.

The brunette sighed in frustration after tearing her gaze from her counterpart; knowing very well that when she was acting this way, Cara would not back down from her decision or whatever it was that she wanted to do.

So Kahlan marched forward quicker than she had intended and immediately grabbed the Seeker's hand, breaking whatever conversation he had going with the Wizard and leaving him with no choice but to follow the Confessor's lead; leaving the other two a few paces behind.

Zedd dumbfoundedly stared at the couple in front of him, before turning to the Mord'Sith; "What just happened?"

A biting reply ensued, "How the hell should I know?"

"Well, you were with her before that happened. Didn't you know something?"

Gritting her teeth, Cara stepped on the road with more force than necessary; "Who knows. Maybe she just wanted to show off of her _affections_ towards the Lord Rahl for the entire world to see."

Getting even more confused than he was before, the Wizard knitted his eyebrows together in contemplation. He was going to ask the blonde woman more questions, but her strides became quicker than it was before. Thus he got no choice but to drop the matter.

As for the Mother Confessor, she didn't know why she acted the way she did. Yes, she was bitter with the blonde's attitude towards her and the idea of making her feel the same way that she felt as a payback also resurfaced. And yes, to control her fluctuating emotions she had to distance herself from the source that caused her anger to rise; hence the moving ahead from Cara.

The only thing that she did not understand was; why did she dragged Richard along with her?

After few moments of thinking, the Confessor concluded that maybe she needed him to calm herself down or maybe she just didn't want to walk alone. Besides, Richard would never decline her company, no matter how sudden it was.

But deep down Kahlan admitted, seeing a glimpse of the distress look on Cara's face behind them; she felt satisfied somehow, and a smile slowly creeping on her lips.

On the other hand, the Wizard swore that he heard the blonde woman next to him scoffed.


	2. B

**AN: Thank you for giving this a chance. Still un-beta'd, so you know how it goes. Please, keep on reading. LOL  
**

**Eric: Yes, am with you there. Love them, always!  
zagadka4: I'm glad that you find this interesting. *high five*  
KM Rune: I will continue, no worries. Hehehehe. *thumbs up*  
Guest: The way Cara acted was always cute, tryin to be a badass and all. Glad you felt that way too! **

**Thank you all, for taking your time to review and the alerts too. I'm happy. :)**

**DISCLAIMER: Come on, do I have to say this everytime? *sigh* I DO NOT OWN THE CHARACTERS EXCEPT THE STORYLINE AND MAYBE SOME OC.**

* * *

**Bed**

The journey often ended up with the group sleeping under the tree leaves or the dry soil, so when they finally finished their quest and now had plenty of chances to sleep on a decent bed; they would not turn it down, wouldn't they?

"So our room will be at the opposite side of yours. Is that okay?"

"I thought that now we have defeated the Keeper, we could finally have our own chambers to rest? Why are we still sharing?"

"Now, now Cara, even though it seemed that way, but we still need to be thrifty at all times. If not, how are we going to eat a decent meal?"

Rolling her eyes at the Wizard, the Mord'Sith retorted; "Of course. Wouldn't want the Wizard of First Order to starve away now, do we?"

The other two chuckled at casual banter in front of them, while the Seeker added; "Zedd is right, Cara. We still need to save up for our journey to Aydindril. Besides, aren't two is better than one?"

_Yeah, right._

Cara worked hard to not just voiced her real thoughts; instead she just huffed indignantly and casted a look to her side- only to be met by the Mother Confessor's gaze.

Feeling slightly out of place, the blonde woman quickly turned her head to the other side, not wanting to dwell on the brunette's face any longer than she already has- and she had done that quite recently nowadays.

And it didn't go unnoticed by Kahlan.

She wanted to ask, but knowing that the presence of the men in front of them were not making it any easier, the Mother Confessor put her questions aside and took the keys that were handed to her.

"So we'll see you at dinner."

An affectionate smile portrayed on Richard's lips before he nodded, and went upstairs ahead with his grandfather. Before Kahlan started to follow their lead, she noticed that the blonde woman still not moving from her stance.

"Are you coming?"

Replying without looking at the other woman, the Mord'Sith answered; "I have business to be taken care of."

"Will you be long?"

"Why do you ask?"

"Because I'm holding the key to our room and it would be unfortunate if you barge into the wrong chamber."

"I will find my way."

The phrase '_don't be long_' hanging inside the brunette's throat before she swallowed it back inside and decided to just continue walking to their room.

Meanwhile, the Mord'Sith sighed in relief and searched for the innkeeper in charge. When she spotted him, the blonde sauntered towards the middle-aged looking man and smirking a little when the said man noticed and clearly intimidated by her presence.

Cara always enjoyed being feared after all.

"...How can I be of help?"

Leaving no room for arguing, the blonde woman commanded; "When the Seeker and his companion went downstairs for their dinner, I want you to send mine to my chamber."

The innkeeper was a bit curious as to why the woman in front of him didn't want to dine with her company, but he knew better than to ask a Mord'Sith something that they didn't want to elaborate; so with a nod and a short '_yes_', the middle-aged man went back to his work after the blonde woman left.

With her intentions done, the Mord'Sith went upstairs in a slow pace; not really keen on being in the same room with the Mother Confessor. The brunette confuses her and that feeling of unknowingness was not enjoyable for her.

While walking down the corridor, Cara heightened her sense of smell, finding which room having the hint of jasmine mixed with lavender. She didn't know how and when she noticed this, but one thing for sure; she knew that that smell only belonged to Kahlan alone. The smell created a blissful scent, which matchingly went along with her white Confessor dress. Sometimes the Mord'Sith wondered; how could someone smelled a lot like heaven, but her touches were so close to damnation?

And they thought Mord'Siths were the most dangerous kind in the world.

A trace of scent passed her sense, and instantly she was aware that the redolence was coming out from the farthest room in the corner. Walking warily towards the quarter, the blonde stopped for a few minutes before she raised her hand to turn the doorknob- only to lower it back down when Kahlan already opened it for her.

"I knew it was you."

Cara raised her right eyebrow in curiosity as to why her counterpart said that, and Kahlan knew exactly what the blonde wanted to ask her with the silent gesture; so she continued, "Your footsteps gave you away. A normal accommodator would never walk the way you did."

Truth be told, Cara was slightly impressed by the Confessor's hearing, but the only thing was on her mind right now was to tease the other woman.

"So you're saying, you've been waiting for my arrival the whole time?"

A smirk was now present as a challenge by the blonde.

And the brunette lost when her cheeks starting to blush.

"I was not," The pitch of her tone went a little higher than Kahlan would have liked. "I was lying on the bed to get some rest, yet your footsteps interrupt me."

"So you're saying that whenever someone interrupts your rest, you would gladly open the door for them?" The smirk displayed was getting under the Confessor's skin.

Knowing any excuses would not bought her way out of this one, Kahlan sighed in defeat and turned away from her counterpart; trying to hide her now bashful cheeks.

"There's some hot water in the bath for you to clean up. Do not even touch the bed before then." It sounded commanding, but it was the only way for her to lessen her reddened cheeks.

A soft thud echoing the room when Cara put her bag pack down, retorting while undoing the laces on her boots; "I know the rules before I could get in bed with you, Mother Confessor."

It's not Cara's fault, really; the innuendos just came out from her mouth naturally without her even realizing it before it's too late.

And now Kahlan's ears suffered the attacking redness. But she decided to play along.

"Who's to say you are not going to sleep on the floor tonight?"

Cara quirked her eyebrows at this and smiling in mischievousness when she gathered that Kahlan was daring enough to taste the water.

"So you're saying that after tonight, I could _always_ sleep with you?" She intentionally emphasized the word _always._

"In your dreams, maybe." A cheeky reply from the brunette, after the redness on her face subsided when she had gotten used to the other woman's suggestive words.

"Trust me; there will be no _maybe_ in my dreams."

"So you do admit that you have dreamt about me in _that _way before?" Kahlan tilted her head to the side, a silent challenge for the blonde to accept.

Taken aback by the bluntness of the question that the brunette gave her, Cara kept her mouth shut; knowing that if she let this little game of theirs continued, it would open a whole lot of can worms that she didn't even know what's in them.

_And no, she never wanted to know._

Opting for a safer choice on her behalf, Cara shook her head before her smirk turned into a small smile of defeat and continued to undo her belt. "Well met, Mother Confessor."

Knowing that this was her victory to call, Kahlan grinned to no one in particular while smoothing out her battle outfit, since she would wear them tonight at dinner. It was very inconvenient to have her white dress sweeping all over the floor everytime she moved; so the battle attire had to do.

The Mord'Sith continued after a fair silence; "And when we're on the subject,"

"Yes?"

"I'm going to bathe now. Care to join me?"

"Definitely no."

* * *

"It's time for dinner. Let's go."

"You go ahead."

Kahlan frowned in confusion when the other woman once again declined. "You have got another business to take care of?"

"No. I am dining here."

"Here? In this room?"

The Mord'Sith shot her an incredulous look, a gesture that subtly inquiring whether the Mother Confessor had lost her brain function or not. "You heard me correct."

Still not satisfied, "Why? We could all dine together downstairs."

Cara huffed a little forcefully than usual, giving her counterpart a sign that she was not happy with all of her annoying questions. "Can you just go on and leave me alone?"

Kahlan tilted her head to the side while staring at the blonde woman before responding to her in a commanding tone; "No."

Rolling her eyes, Cara ignored the look that was given to her and just slumped down on the bed, face first; before she lifted her right hand, waving it carelessly as a _go away _gesture. Kahlan's eyes narrowed at this, and with her stomach barely filled with anything from this morning; she found that she didn't have any fight in her against this unbelievably stubborn woman.

"Fine," A brief word before the brunette walked out from the room.

A few moments later, the knocking on the door alerted the blonde woman, knowing that her dinner had arrived. Whilst opening the doorframe, a young man's figure was displayed with him holding a tray of food. The lust in Cara awoken when she noticed that the man in front of her was somewhat a good looking one, and with a predatory smirk in her lips; she opened the door big enough as a sign for the man to come in.

Soon after he did, the doorknob clicked.

* * *

When the Confessor returned to her room, she didn't expect that the bed would be so messy.

And she also didn't expect that the Mord'Sith's clothing would be lesser than it was before she left.

There was no need for any hints; she could find it out on her own.

For the night, both women were minding their own matter and didn't converse with each other until the morning sun shone upon them.

The Mord'Sith woke up with a satisfied smirk on her lips;

And the Confessor woke up with a scowl on her face.


	3. C

**AN: Thank you all for reading and reviewing my story. :) If I'm updating too fast, lemme know. I'll slow it down. LOL :P And yes, still un-beta'd. *sobs***

**KM Rune: Funny is the thing that I worked hard to achieve, aha! Thank you! :)  
Guest: I...don't speak spanish. But when I google translated it, *well, correct me if I'm wrong* there are words like 'great' and 'like' appeared. So thank you... muchas gracias. :D  
zagadka4: I'm glad that you like this story. Hehehe. Since I've found out that you're an awesome writer yourself, getting that compliment from you kinda give me a confidence boost, lol. :P  
Emy: Thank you for liking it. :) And I do hope that you will like the following too. Aha!**

**DISCLAIMER: YOU KNOW IT.**

* * *

**Cat**

It was all Richard's fault, for as long as Cara remembered.

They were supposed to be on their journey to Aydindril as soon as possible, but _nooo_- the Seeker needed to prove his large pool of goodwill to the entire world by stopping whenever there was a damsel in distress that needed to be saved.

The blonde woman had told him about this weakness of his, but all she got was a lecture about how _everybody is precious bla bla bla_ from the Lord Rahl, a disapproving look from the Mother Confessor, and… nothing from the Wizard actually, perhaps the fullness of his mouth was blocking him from speaking. Well.

So the Mord'Sith gave up, letting them do whatever they pleases; as long as she was not asked to do any ridiculous thing for them. And for awhile, it worked.

Until the Lord Rahl accepted an offer from one of the villagers in Vernantice- a village that they had to pass through so that they could save a two days journey to Aydindril, compared to the alternative route. The kind bearded man's name was Geraldine; a husband that recently lost his wife due to the bandit attacks, and barely made it out alive if it weren't for the Seeker and his companions. The four of them- well, make it three- willingly handed out their condolences and offered to stay with the mourning man whilst he buried his late wife. Feeling grateful despite the sadness he's in, Geraldine suggested that the four of them stayed the night in his residence before returning to their journey.

Cara frowned at this, and was about to decline the man's offer directly on the spot- only to shut her mouth when the Mother Confessor put her hand on her shoulder.

It's like she had been silenced unwillingly just by a touch from the Confessor. Feeling irritated for being compromised that easily, the Mord'Sith glared at the said woman; hoping that she would put her hand away from her.

Unfortunately, Kahlan was immune to her glare.

_Damn the Creator._

"Cara, let Richard make the decision himself."

Rolling her eyes, the Mord'Sith automatically shrugged the unwelcomed weight on her shoulder.

_Of course he's going to agree! He is Richard Cypher! _

Before the Seeker voiced his decision, the Mord'Sith already knew what it was. "Is it okay with all of you that we'll be staying here for the night?"

Kahlan definitely had no objections, since she preferred a good bed to rests her head; and the Wizard would never decline a decent meal for his stomach. Knowing that three against one was as good as a clear defeat, the blonde woman just sighed begrudgingly and followed their lead.

The same settings were enforced, Richard stayed with his grandfather while Cara unwillingly stayed with the Mother Confessor. The Mord'Sith made a face at this.

Upon reaching their designated room, Cara quickly dismissed herself from Kahlan; saying that she wanted to explore the said house, searching for an escape route just in case and the brunette had no other choice than to just let her be.

After a few observations, the Mord'Sith discovered that the owner of the house had shown himself to be a little more than merely adequate in his lifestyle. He had a yard and a few horses, in which there were plenty of maize crops planted surrounding it. Just as she reached the stables to view the nickering steeds, a sudden movement trickled her senses and the blonde woman sharply turned her head to the hidden corner near the haystack.

It was just a cat.

Narrowing her eyes, Cara placed her Agiels back inside their holsters.

"You're lucky, little one. I almost throw one of my Agiels at you."

The white furry cat sauntered slowly from its hiding place, with its tail swishing to and fro. Its brown eyes were staring intently at Cara before tilting its head. Somehow, that action reminded the blonde woman of someone.

The unmoving Mord'Sith focused on the cat, as if it would turn into a lion and going to attack her anytime. And that was possible too, with a little magic here and there. You never know.

A few seconds later, Richard's voice echoed through the yard, calling the blonde woman to get inside the house back.

"Cara, food is ready!"

Nodding her head out of habit- even though she knew that her Lord couldn't see that, the Mord'Sith glanced at the white feline once more before she turned away; heading towards the residence.

The blonde woman winced inwardly when she heard the cat meowed; hating the high pitch of the sound that made her ears twitched.

And also hating herself because she found that she wanted to pet that damned cat.

* * *

After dinner, the blonde woman went straight into her room even though her companions insisted that she should stay and chat with them.

_Chat, for Creator's sake. Who do they think she is?_

The only response they got from the Mord'Sith was a glare, before she proceeded with her previous destination. When she reached the said room, she took her gloves off in order to ready herself for bed; and was taken aback when she saw a white furry ball sitting comfortably near the windowsill.

The cat's brown eyes flicked to meet her green ones, and much to Cara's discomfort; the feline jumped down and started to approach her.

Narrowing her eyes, Cara said, "Don't."

Surprisingly enough, the cat seemed to understood her. It stopped in its tracks, sitting obediently while swishing its tail from side to side. The Mord'Sith then moved to the nightstand near the bed, keeping her Agiels' holsters on top of it before changing her attire into a grey tunic- which was a courtesy of Geraldine. After folding her leathers into a neat bundle, Cara sat down on the bed and was planning to fully lie down; until the white cat hopped onto her lap without giving any warning.

Quirking her eyebrows, Cara watched the cat making itself comfortable before purring softly, as if its place had always been there.

She could shrug it off of her, or flicked its ears until the cat was no longer comfortable and leave her lap; but she could not bring herself to do it. The blonde woman instead put her hand slowly on the cat's body, petting it in a slow rhythm while getting used to the softness of its furs.

"I could easily kill you, you know."

The only response the Mord'Sith got was the twitching of the cat's whiskers.

"Spoiled cat."

The feline purred louder, as if agreeing with what the woman had said.

A ghost of smile lingered on the blonde woman's lips when the white cat nuzzled deeper into her lap.

"At least I'm not wearing my leather."

Somehow, petting the furry cat was making her felt some kind of lightheadedness, and the urge to sleep filled her slowly. So Cara placed the cat next to her pillow while she was fully lying down now, but her right hand never stopped petting the feline.

Both felt content in a way that soon the Mord'Sith's hand stopped its ministrations because she had fell asleep, with the cat purring steadily next to her.

* * *

When it was a candlemark after midnight, Kahlan decided that it was time for her to rest as well. The men have insisted that she should stay and discuss with them some more, but the tiredness that she felt while listening to their conversations was encouraging her to sleep.

Usually she fancied having a logical conversation now and then, but tonight the interactions seemed dull somehow. Maybe it's because the Mord'Sith was not with them.

Kahlan remembered how the blonde woman would made a face in everything they have said; whether it was a grimace, annoyed look, confused frown, curious eyebrows or when the curve of her lips venting upwards a little.

It was fun for her to see.

And come to think of it, kind of stalker-ish of her.

When the brunette opened the doorframe, her blue eyes were instantly widened at the sight of a white cat sleeping peacefully on the Mord'Sith belly. Unable to hide all of her giggles for the cute display in front of her, the brunette closed the door slowly and allowed herself to descend on the other side of the bed gracefully; so that both Cara and the cat wouldn't be startled awake by the sudden change of movement.

But a woman can only held herself for so long before she wanted to touch the adorable furry cat, so Kahlan reached her hand out- only to joltingly pulled it back when the Mord'Sith's voice rang;

"Don't get any funny ideas, Mother Confessor."

The brunette dazed for awhile. "I thought you are asleep?"

"Were. Your annoying giggles gave you out."

Shaking her head in an amused manner, the Confessor soon lie down and asked, "Where does this cat come from?"

"No idea."

"So it just followed you here?"

"Without my permission, yes."

A hum emitted from the brunette, making the blonde felt uneasy. Finally opening her eyes and turned her head towards Kahlan's direction, the blonde inquired; "What?"

"So you like cats." A statement, as if the Mother Confessor knew about it already.

"No." A clear and definite answer.

"Then why do you let it sleeps on your stomach?"

"Because it was a spoiled cat that was too stubborn to move away."

_Just like you._

"Excuse me? Are you insinuating that I am spoiled?"

_Oh, that wasn't meant to be heard._

Quickly closing her eyes back, the Mord'Sith replied; "Well."

The brunette's eyebrows shot up at the quick response. "What does that supposed to mean?"

"You'll wake the cat if you still keep on talking."

"Wha-"

"Shhhhh."

The Mother Confessor narrowed her eyes at the Mord'Sith, knowing that this was the blonde woman's way to run away from their current conversation. Huffing in dissatisfaction, the brunette turned away from her counterpart; but not before pinching the cat's tail lightly.

It's not technically hurting the feline, but it was enough to abruptly woke it and having its claws came out unintentionally; hence a light scratching on the blonde's abdomen.

Cara's eyes automatically opened while she winced at the uncomfortable sharp claws that latched on her body. The Mord'Sith considered throwing the damned cat off of her, but halted when she heard the particular puff of air from the Mother Confessor. She recognized that sound.

It was the same sound that the brunette made when she came in before.

Kahlan was giggling.

Cara glared silently at the Confessor's figure, finally knew that it was her doing. She didn't know what Kahlan did per se, but the brunette definitely had something- or everything to do with this.

Just as she wanted to exact her revenge, the feline curled back into its previous position while meowing softly; as if asking the blonde to stay still.

The Mord'Sith hesitated, before moving her hand to pet the said cat; and the lightheadedness that she felt before came back to haunt her. So Cara decided to let the matter go for the time being, knowing that there would be many opportunities for her to even the score.

Soon, sleep had taken all of them; with the cat enjoying the extra warmth from the Mord'Sith's hand that still didn't move away from its furs until the morning comes.


	4. D

**AN: Thank you for the reviews, alert and favs, I appreciate it. :) And hey, good news! I've found a beta for this story, yay! :D He *I know it this time, aha! :D* was willing to help me to make my writing better, so no worries, I would fix these existing chapter soon! I hope. Hahahahaha! But...this chapter is not beta'd yet. Am waiting for my awesome beta reader to finish the others, so forgive my enthusiasm in posting a new chapter. I just can't resist. *shy* Sooooo, have a good read y'all!**

**zagadka4: Everyone needs a cat sooner or later! LOL :D Thank you for the love!  
Eric: Am always with you there! :D They are perfect!  
Cloud Auditore Fair: Can't say anything else to you, you're awesome and I personally like your stories and THANK YOU! :D  
Emy: Thank you for that compliment! :D I wish to improve, so if there's any opportunity that I can grab, I will! :) And yes, you have a good weekend too!  
wkgreen: I enjoyed imagining them too! :D Thank you for reviewing, wish you would enjoy this chapter too! :)  
rediver: They are cute and funny, can't deny that :3 Thanks for loving my story, and for that I'm loving you too! LOL :D**

**And yes, a humongous token of appreciation I dedicate to my awesome beta reader, **Cloud Auditore Fair**! *bows* **

**DISCLAIMER: YOU AND YOU AND YOU AND ALL OF YOU KNOW IT. ;)**

* * *

**Deal**

The air was hotter than usual. The Seeker was contemplating the tempting idea to stop at a nearby shady tree while wiping sweats out of his face, the Wizard whined about how he should have cut his hair a long time ago; and the Mord'Sith just strode forward without saying anything- as usual, although the beads of sweat on her face told the Mother Confessor that even the tough woman couldn't avoid reacting to the prickling heat.

The brunette herself tied her hair into a ponytail, giving her neck more room for air- despite it was a hot one. At least her back wasn't that sweaty anymore.

"How do you walk so fast in this weather?"

The Mord'Sith stopped in her tracks, turning around to face the Wizard, knowing that the question could only be directed to her since she was the only one walking in front; with the others were at the back. Raising her right eyebrow, the blonde woman answered before turning back around to continue her walking; "Because knowing that we can't possibly stop here and there's a village up front that might offer a better atmosphere than this dry road, I suggest you better pick up your pace, _old man_."

Zedd disgruntledly huffed, "I'll let you know that I am much more energetic than any man can achieve in my age, young lady."

The blonde woman ignorantly replied, "Less talk, more walk."

Beside the now displeased Wizard, Richard patted his back while shaking his head in amusement. "Don't worry Zedd, you are very much capable than anyone else in this group, in fact we could barely hold ourselves without your guidances."

His grandson's attempt in making him feel better succeeded. "Why, thank you my boy. You hear that, Cara?"

"I am too far from you to hear anything. Maybe you should run, so that I can hear it much better when you're closer." Cara yelled on purpose.

The Mother Confessor chuckled, sending an apologetic look towards the Wizard before fastening her own strides to catch up to the Mord'Sith. She was too far ahead already to hear Zedd muttering to Richard about how he would prove to Cara that he is not as old as he looks and she would be surprised to know what he is capable of.

When the brunette almost in par with the blonde, she could see the woman's shoulders stiffened for a brief moment; indicating that the Mord'Sith realized that she was behind her. Somehow the Confessor wondered why; of all four of them, the Mord'Sith had always been so tense whenever she was with her. At first, she figured it was because she was a Confessor, the sworn enemy of a Mord'Sith; or maybe because of her sister's history with the blonde, at which she recalled saying to her counterpart that she could never forgive her.

But that was then.

Surely after all they have been through together, the friendship that was created between them would be stronger than ever; wouldn't it? But of course, if someone should ask her about Dennee and Cara; she couldn't say that she had forgotten about it.

That painful remembrance would always haunt both of them, and sometimes- in the back of Kahlan's mind- she still hates Cara for it.

Choosing not to remember anything anymore, the Mother Confessor spoke; "You're sweating."

The brunette could literally felt the blonde's rolling her eyes. "Thanks for stating the obvious."

"You should wipe them out."

"I'm wearing leather."

"So? It's not like the leather would disintegrate the second it came in contact with your sweats."

"I choose to preserve."

Sighing, the Confessor commented, "Could you tone down your stubbornness a little?"

The Mord'Sith bit back, "I will when you stop being so annoying."

"Oh, you think I'm annoying, do you? Obviously you haven't met yourself."

"Correction; I said that you are **_so_**_ annoying_, not just _annoying._" Cara purposely emphasized the word '_so'._

Narrowing her eyes- which Kahlan did frankly too much lately- she moved further so that she was now side by side with Cara, her eyes full of oppositions.

Cara felt the burning glare of course, so she turned to the brunette while raising an eyebrow on her own. Both were unwilling to slow down, obstacles or pebbles on the ground be damned.

It was Kahlan who announced it first, "Dare to make a deal?"

Cara was definitely intrigued, "Let's hear them."

"Whoever arrived first at the gate of the village up front shall be the winner, and the _loser_ has to do whatever the winner asks of her; no questions or complaints whatsoever. Deal?"

Now there was a smirk on the blonde woman's face. "No backing out, Confessor?"

Truth to be told, the brunette's confidence waver a little at the displayed smirk on her counterpart's face. She always managed to make her felt that way with that small gesture. Gulping invisibly, the brunette repeated, "No backing out."

The smirk was getting wider. "You have a deal then."

A serious face versus a smirking one, both eyeing each other with equal intense.

Kahlan added, "In three."

The other woman hummed her agreement.

Both women sharply turned in front, readying themselves while counting to three inwardly. And when it was precisely three, all hell broke loose.

Both men behind them saw the quickly retreating forms of the women, and Richard voiced his worries, "What happened? Is there any baneling around or what?"

"There's not a single baneling that I could spot." The Wizard frowned in confusion. "Maybe the weather is too much for the ladies to handle. Reaching the village faster could be their intention."

"Should we catch up to them?"

Zedd looked at his grandchild incredulously, "Running in this heat, a man at my age?"

Richard grinned playfully, "I thought you said that you're not as old as you look?"

The Wizard huffed, "In this weather, anybody seemed older than they were."

The Seeker chuckled, thus earning a lecture from Zedd on how youngsters nowadays should respect their elders. So he decided that he would accompany his grandfather- besides, he knew the women were capable enough to take care of themselves. After a while of incessant talking, Richard sighingly raised both of his hands in a gesture of surrendering, hoping that the lecture given would cease quickly.

Unfortunately, no such luck.

* * *

At the village's gate, two women were panting audibly, one with a satisfied grin on her face; the other portraying a displeased scowl.

"I distinctly remember that you said it yourself, _no backing down_, right Cara?"

The Mord'Sith gazed at her counterpart begrudgingly. That was all the answer Kahlan needed.

It was pretty unbelievable in Cara's behalf, that a woman- the Mother Confessor, nonetheless; beat her in a game of speed. She was leading the race, but suddenly the woman behind her briskly passed her by. She gave all of her might to gain the leverage back and almost successful if she was given a few more seconds to catch up- but all to no avail when the Confessor had touched the wooden gate.

Cara blamed Kahlan's hips that had distracted her momentarily.

"So now, could you hold my bag pack for me, please?" More of a cheeky request than an order.

Gritting her teeth whilst smiling sarcastically, the blonde woman replied, "Of course, Mother Confessor."

The brunette ignored it because she knew that her counterpart was a sore loser. After a few series of normal breathings, she pulled a small piece of cloth from her pocket, wiping her face with it. In the brunette's thoughts, she was impressed by her own stamina. Kahlan was afraid that she would lose, and to think of all the things that Cara would have her do if she really was to lose this round- it was enough to make her shudder. With a renewed determination, the Confessor dashed forward; not minding how her tired legs were exposed slightly by the created breeze, as long as she was winning. And she did.

_That's a relief._

When she turned to have a look at the other woman, she noticed that the blonde still hasn't wiped her sweats away properly. Kahlan sighed lightly before saying, "Come here."

Knowing that she had a deal, Cara unwillingly obliged and took a few steps forward. But to her horror, Kahlan was now moving much closer towards her than she would have liked. The blonde woman stepped back instantly as her instinct kicked in.

Kahlan frowned at this, but letting it go and stepping further closer, only to have the Mord'Sith backing away again. Getting frustrated, the brunette exasperatedly said, "Stop moving, will you?"

"I will if you would."

Another step forward, the other stepped backwards.

"Damn it Cara, didn't I tell you to stop moving?"

The tone alone reminded Cara of their outspoken deal, making the blonde woman huffed in dissatisfaction. "Fine."

The Mother Confessor's frown immediately replaced by a wicked smile when she managed to get the stubborn Mord'Sith under her control. "Good."

Somehow, that word alone made the Mord'Sith felt like she was being treated like a damn puppy.

When their distance was only a breadth apart, Cara was fighting the strong urge to run- or to push the infuriating woman away from her. And when Kahlan's hands were closing onto her face, the blonde woman immediately ducked.

Another wave of frustration flowed over Kahlan, "Would it kill you stay still? I promise I'm not doing anything that's going to hurt you!"

A sceptical gaze was given to her by the Mord'Sith, before she reluctantly rose up and this time, finally letting the brunette's hands resting on her face. Soon her intention was known, when Cara felt a soft material sliding up and down on the side of her face, where plenty of sweats resided.

But still, it didn't make it any less uncomfortable for the blonde; so she closed eyes, unable to look at the brunette in this close of a distance.

As for Kahlan, there was a tiny ache in her heart when Cara flinched at her touch. She knew about how a Mord'Sith could easily die with a Confessor's touch, but she had made it very clear before that she didn't mean any harm to the blonde woman, didn't she? The thought of Cara still not trusting her induced a pout on her lips, but soon it was replaced by a soft smile on her lips when Cara closed her eyes; since the brunette felt as if the blonde was finally letting her in- even with that stubborn frown on her eyebrows.

And Kahlan had to admit, she intentionally let her hands lingered a little longer than it should have.

The Mord'Sith was lying to herself if she said that she didn't enjoy the attention that was given to her by the Confessor. She sighed slowly and silently, refusing to show the brunette that she was actually liking this. But Kahlan's hearing was somewhat impressive, so she smiled in content, and was planning to be more devious by kissing Cara on the cheek after she was done- knowing that that gesture alone could make the Mord'Sith gone mad.

Or murderous, to be more accurate. And normal people would find that to be frightening- life-threatening even; but the Mother Confessor begged to differ.

_It's amusing, is what it is._

Just when she wanted to place a peck on her counterpart's right cheek, she noticed that there were two figures appearing by the hill- and she knew instantly who they were. Feeling as if she had been caught red-handed, Kahlan immediately dropped both of her hands and backed away from Cara in a fair distance; not really knowing why she felt this way.

The Mord'Sith felt the sudden loss of warmth, and quickly reopened her eyes to make sure that the Confessor was still in front of her.

"They're here." The brunette motioned her head towards the foothill, with the blonde following her gaze.

Not really knowing what was the appropriate response, Cara remarked;

"Took them long enough."

Although the blonde woman admitted that she preferred it much better if they arrived later than they did now.

But soon she regretted that, when she remembered that she was under Kahlan's mercy for the whole day. It's because she had to be a maidservant- literally; for the Mother Confessor. And the Wizard would not let the matter go for a long time if he had ever witnessed it firsthand.

Just thinking of the witty comments he would jab at her…

Somehow, the urge to run away resurfaced.


	5. E

**AN : Sooooo... here I am. I've decided to keep on posting new chapters even though there's no proofreading yet, because yeah... I just can't resist. I've got two chapters finished ahead, and yes... Keeping them locked away is a torture. No worries though, my beta reader would go through this story and I would definitely replace them with the fixed one when he's done. So no worries people! :D**

**wkgreen: Here it is, sorry for the wait! :)  
chickinwhite: Thanks for thinking that this is a great idea :) I hope I can meet your expectations! :D**

**DISCLAIMER: MEOW.**

* * *

**Eyes**

That one attribute that Kahlan hated the most in Cara was her eyes.

Her eyes were so insolently daring, unashamedly scrutinizing, incomprehensibly curious; and most of all, the vicious staring.

When the Mord'Sith first offered to lend her hand in their journey, she distinctly remembered the brief staring contest that she had with the blonde woman. The Mord'Sith's eyes were rudely challenging her to say anything to object Richard's decision to have her in their group; and knowing that she couldn't say anything at all to oppose, the only thing that she capable of doing was to return the stare with an equal intensity.

Also during their questing days, whenever she made a decision of her own; the Confessor would find those dark emerald eyes scrutinizing her in a way that made her started to question her own standing. And that was a disadvantage that she could not afford to have, especially in life and death situation.

Or when the brunette did something that was considered normal to her and other people but not for the blonde woman- such as helping a man or woman in need during their journey, those emerald eyes curiously looked at her; silently asking: '_What for_?'

All of that got under the Mother Confessor's skin so fast that she almost snapped everytime it happened.

And yes, she did snap on some occasions.

But there were days when those eyes brought nothing but confusion upon her. The day when they were with the night wisps was a good example of it.

Cara was staring right at her- and most people would look away whenever the _staree_ noticed the _starer_, but that was not the case for the Mord'Sith. She never backed down; in fact she even raised one of her eyebrows to make Kahlan looked away on her own.

And the Mother Confessor hated herself for admitting that she needed to control her cheeks from heating up- just from the Mord'Sith stares.

She didn't understand why, but she was positive that she didn't like being on the disadvantage side.

A stern voice broke her reverie, "You should go to sleep."

Blinking away from her own daze, Kahlan looked up to see the Mord'Sith was sitting on a log near the campfire; while Richard was sleeping peacefully on her right, with Zedd next to him.

The blonde continued, "You're wasting your time."

The brunette focused on her counterpart, "I know. I just need some time for my body to fall asleep."

"Train your body to do what you want it to do. Do not let your body control you."

"And how would I do that?"

"Practice makes perfect. Clear your mind out and close your eyes."

Realizing that the Mord'Sith had her point, the Confessor exhaled once before closing her eyes, leaving her sight with nothing but darkness. Unfortunately for her, it didn't work out. Partly because she believed that her mind could never be fully emptied, and mostly because she felt a piercing stare rested on her.

The urge to open her eyes was too much for her to resist. So she did.

And there it is; the unbashful stare from the familiar pair of dark emeralds.

The brunette had to grip her bedroll tighter to suppress the incoming blush.

"What?" She voiced out, feeling as if she could lessen the inevitable redness on her cheeks if she say something.

Still with the intense staring, the blonde answered, "Nothing."

"Then why are you staring at me like that?"

"Why, does this bother you?"

It would have never bothered her, if her cheeks didn't burn up like a fiery sun- without her even knowing why. But she did know what the cause was.

Whenever Cara looked at her that way, her cheeks betrayed her.

"No, it doesn't." _A lie._ "But I want to know why." _The truth._

The staring competition between them continued, until Cara finally opened her mouth to spoke; "You better go to sleep now. It's going to be your turn to watch soon."

With that, the Mord'Sith redirects her gaze to somewhere else; and the Confessor exhaled in relief for the lack of eye contact from her counterpart.

Nevertheless, she still wanted to know why. "But you didn't answer my question."

"There's no answer to give."

Frowning in confusion, Kahlan asked again, "What does that supposed to mean?"

"Just sleep, Kahlan."

The way the blonde pronounced her name with her low tone was making her dizzy, and she suddenly couldn't find her voice to demand the answer she wanted.

So she obliged, closing her eyes once more, letting the darkness seeping in completely this time.

When the Mord'Sith listened to the other woman's even breathing, she gathered that the Confessor had fallen asleep.

Standing up slowly in order to not alerting her companions, Cara inhaled deeply before she started to walk away from the camp site- only to stagger unevenly when she took the first step.

The Mord'Sith truly hated the Mother Confessor whenever she caused her to be this way.

Steadying herself, the blonde woman walked to a tree that was pretty far from the camp site, but not too far to block her peripheral view; so it was a perfect location for a guarding post. And the main reason why she picked that tree to lean on was;

She could see her Lord and the Wizard, but she couldn't see the brunette from there, even if she craned her neck. _Oh yes, she had tried that before, and was proven useless._

As for now, she could finally focus.

* * *

The next morning when Kahlan woke up, she noticed that the sun had shone already. And the one who woke her up was Richard, not the one she was expecting to. After all, she was in queue to guard right after Cara's turn.

A couple of deep breaths finally cleared her head, and making it easier for her to connect the dots- that Cara had let her sleep for the rest of the night, while the Mord'Sith was awake replacing her shift.

A small piece in her heart clenched at this knowledge, and she didn't know what to do with it.

So she casts her gaze towards the blonde woman; and when Cara finally met her eyes, Kahlan smiled gratefully.

The only response she got was Cara staring at her intently, with no other expressions given.

And of course, the Confessor looked away again when the intensity of their gaze and her own bashfulness was too much for her to contain.

This is exactly why Kahlan hated Cara's eyes.


	6. F

**AN : Heyyy, how are you guys doing? Another chapter presented, and don't forget to review. Aha! Have a good day y'all. ;)**

**wkgreen: Thanks for waiting. Here it is! :D  
rediver: Thanks for thinking that this is great! I will update, no worries! :) And I think I ship them more than you do, aha! ;)  
jay: Thanks for the compliment! Hope you're still keeping up with this story! :)  
zagadka4: No worries, I understand, you have your own fic after all ;) Glad to know that my story still intrigues you, and hopefully I can keep on improving myself! :)  
GISA103: Thanks for loving this story. Glad to know I did the fluffy thing right, aha! :D**

**Thank you very much for the reviews, favs, and follows! Honestly, who doesn't like them? :P And this chapter has a sequel, but still in alphabetical order, so don't be mad at me, yeah? :3 Love you guys.  
**

**Aaaaand...the age info written on this story are based on the book version. Just so you know, so you won't throw eggs and whatnots at me. :***

**DISCLAIMER: DOUBLE MEOW.**

* * *

**Falling**

The Mord'Sith cursed the day when Richard Cypher turned 24 years old. It was not because she hated him, no; but what she has discovered on that day changed her life forever.

And she hated changes, because it pulled her out from her comfort zone. And she loved her zone very, very much.

Two days before Richard's birthday party- yep, another birthday party that was enthusiastically organized by his lover, which hopefully would not turn out just like the disaster it had been previously; Kahlan called for Zedd and Cara to discuss how they would conduct it this time, while Richard was away, bathing.

"So Zedd, what do you have in mind?"

"Maybe we could celebrate his birthday in a tavern? He does love blending in with the folks, being with people makes him happy."

"This is a complete waste of time."

Both Confessor and the Wizard turned their heads towards the Mord'Sith, with disapproving looks on their faces. But this subject piqued Zedd's interest, so he spontaneously asked, "How does Mord'Siths celebrate birthdays?"

Giving the Wizard an incredulous look, Cara remarked, "We don't, obviously."

"Really? Not even a decent wish or anything of the sort?" Kahlan added, and soon after that the blonde woman looked at her as if the brunette had gone mental.

Cara wittily replied, "Have I ever greeted any of you first, _willingly_?"

Both Wizard and the Confessor finally got her point. The Mord'Sith's aggravating response managed to make the brunette rolled her eyes, before directing her gaze back to the old man.

"Then the tavern it is."

* * *

"What are they talking about?"

The Mord'Sith answered her Lord, "I could not possibly care."

Not minding how the blonde had answered him, the Seeker continued, "They have been that way since yesterday. It kind of bugs me." Richard glanced at his grandfather's direction, noting that he was chatting enthusiastically with the love of his life.

"If you are insinuating that the Mother Confessor has finally found the brittle Wizard as a more attractive man than you are; I'd say that you've lost your mind, Richard."

Widening his eyes in aghast, the Seeker spluttered, "Cara! That's my grandfather that you're talking about!"

"So?"

He probably would have taken offense that the Mord'Sith had just referred to his grandfather as a _brittle _man, if he didn't notice the underlying compliment in Cara's remark. Shaking his head in amusement, the bronze-haired man poked the campfire a few times to get the sparks brightened, before continued, "I am not bugged in that way. I just feel… left out, somehow."

Still looking towards the darkness of the woods, Cara replied. "You're being ridiculous."

"Yeah, I'm aware of that. But still," Scratching the back of his head that wasn't itchy at all, the Seeker added; "Lately I've been spending only a little time with Kahlan, and I guess I just miss her, you know?"

_Strangely, yes, I know._

The Mord'Sith swallowed a lump in her throat along with her genuine thoughts, before replying, "You're forgetting something, Lord Rahl."

"Hm? What is it?"

"If you wanted to talk about feelings and such, I am not the right person to."

The Seeker chuckled before sincerely looking into the dark emerald eyes next to him. "Maybe, maybe not. But I prefer talking to you about this."

Cara's eyebrows were now knitted together in confusion whilst she stared blankly at him, indicating a silent question that was ringing loudly in Richard's ears;

_Why?_

"Well, Zedd is… my grandfather. It is kind of embarrassing for me to ask or share something like this with him. And of course, it is rather impractical to talk to Kahlan herself about what I feel for her, so that leaves me with you."

The Mord'Sith sombrely stated, "My use for you is anything but that, Richard. Talking about feelings is not in my list of jobs to attend to."

Chuckling in amusement, Richard continued, "Be as that may, but you're the closest one to her after myself. Some insight from you would be very helpful. Plus, I'd like to discuss it with a close friend, someone that I can trust;"

A genuine smile displayed on his lips, while the Mord'Sith's heart beating in guilt as she pondered on his words.

_A close friend. Someone that he trusts._

"…and that is why I wanted to talk to you about my feelings; you're like a sister to me after all."

_Like a sister to him._

When the blonde woman spoke, her voice came out hoarser than she would have liked. "Either way, this is pointless. I know nothing about that kind of feelings, and I would like to keep it that way."

"Maybe someday, someone could change that for you."

_Someday?..._

She cleared her throat. "Let's hope that I killed them first before it happens."

Looking at the blonde woman sternly, Richard called her name in a reprimanding tone. "Cara,"

The Mord'Sith wouldn't back down. "Lord Rahl."

A few moments of mild staring ensued, before Richard broke it off with his laughter; and the Mord'Sith could only offer her friend a small smile before she turned away, looking at the Confessor's direction. She silently wondered;

_What in Creator's name does she really feels for that woman?_

She was aware that she had some kind of affection towards her. And yes, that was to be expected as it was also painful for her to admit. When she tried to put her own logic into it, Cara knew that the Lord Rahl had her undivided affection. So when he commanded her to take care of his future wife as if she was himself, it was normal to have that same affection towards the Mother Confessor too, wouldn't it? Besides, there was a portion of her that cared about the Wizard as well- although she would cut her tongue first before admitting to anyone. So really, that was all there is to it.

One must have liked the other in order for them to become friends. That was the basic rule of a genuine friendship, right?

_But why did she felt guilty everytime Richard talks to her about Kahlan?_

* * *

"Did you spill anything to him last night?"

The raising of an eyebrow occurred. "Is there anything to be spilled anyway?"

Kahlan retorted, "It's just that, both of you talked and laughed a lot, and I was worried you might have accidentally slipped something that would give away our plan."

The Mord'Sith corrected her, "_Your_ plan, Confessor, not mine. And for the record, he was the one doing the talking. I only listened."

"Really? What did he talk about?"

"Why don't you ask him yourself?"

"Ask me about what?" The said man appeared between the women, successfully parting them apart.

Cara was the first to respond. "The Mother Confessor wished to know what did you talked about last night."

Kahlan scowled briefly when Cara used her full title to address her.

The Seeker's eyes glancing around with nervousness, not ready to discuss about his feelings in front of the woman involved herself. So he casts an apologetic look towards the Mord'Sith, before saying, "We, uhm- we talked about Cara's feelings."

Well, not technically lying, since it did become a side topic; but it's not the main point.

The blonde woman's eyes widened, while the brunette's eyes narrowing in curiosity.

Kahlan inquired, "Oh? Tell me about it."

Cara glared, refusing to be his scapegoat. "Lord Rahl..."

Knowing that he just put himself in a quite problematic predicament, Richard backed away instantly with a nervous grin on his face. "Zedd just called for me. I'll be right back!"

That excuse was too ridiculous, and both women stared disbelievingly at his retreating form.

Soon, there he was, stepping further backwards to be near with his grandfather in order to save himself from Kahlan's prying questions and Cara's temper. He was indeed a wise man to do so, after he saw the Mord'Sith's gloved left hand had already reached the holster of her left Agiel.

Cara finally released the holster after sending a dirty look to Richard, "_Be right back, _my foot."

Kahlan too realized that her lover was trying to get away from them, but she resumed in directing her following questions to the woman next to her. "So, what is it with your _feelings_?"

The Mord'Sith answered stoically. "How should I know. I don't have them."

The Confessor's eyebrows quirked, "Really now? Are you sure?"

"Stop patronizing, it's annoying."

"Fine. But only because there is a bigger task in hand today."

"Good to know you're off my back."

But Cara still noticed the wary glances sent towards her every now and then.

It made her stomach churn uncomfortably.

* * *

Much to Cara's dismay, the birthday party for Richard wasn't a total disaster. Not that she would ever wish that for her Lord- _although after this morning incident, she wouldn't mind if the Seeker accidentally gets an injury or something like that, preferably from her Agiels_-, but she wanted to prove to the Mother Confessor that all of these were only a waste of time. The tavern owner was irritatingly excited when he knew the brunette's intention of celebrating the Seeker's birthday under his arrangements, and was more than happy to give anything that the Seeker and his companions needed to make it a success. He called in the town folks- men mostly than women, and they also shared his enthusiasm in participating.

The Mother Confessor grinned happily and the Wizard of First Order nodded his approval of the outcome. The now 24 years old Richard laughing earnestly along with the villagers, sharing his experiences and listening to any comments or questions that the crowd might have for him; while the Mord'Sith stayed at the far corner of the tavern- her face portraying an expression of _I'll kill you if you bother me_-, with a mug of local beer in her hand.

She didn't approve their carefree interactions with- apparently everybody; because she knew that danger could be lurking anywhere, waiting for the right moment to strike. But she had to admit, seeing her Lord Rahl's face in satisfaction and not covered in sweats; it made her lips tugging upwards.

She kept her eyes mostly on Richard for the night, and a portion of it she divides them for the remaining two.

When she looked at the Wizard, the urge to roll her eyes never ceased. He was either downing his drinks, or stuffing his face with some of the tavern's baked goods, or nagging the men beside him about something that she couldn't quite catch with this noise- maybe it's about magic or something of the sort.

When she looked at the Seeker, she smiled in content- especially when he was making plenty of gestures while telling his stories at the crowd. Sometimes she would smirk, whenever Richard looked like he was on the verge to puke- since he had plenty of beer, with those men happily shoving their mugs in front of him, the round of drinks never ceasing.

But when she looked at the Mother Confessor however, all of her previous reactions were drowned instantly into a heavy load of nothingness. It didn't make any sense to her, but she couldn't feel a thing. Whether the Confessor made her happy, or unhappy, annoyed her, amused her or whatever it was; the Mord'Sith just couldn't put them into words.

When Kahlan patted the Wizard's back as a reminder that he was eating too fast, Cara smiled involuntarily. When Kahlan pushed a drunken man- well, make it several men- away from her in their attempts to charm her, Cara smirked proudly. But when Kahlan moved towards Richard, touching his arm affectionately and probably whispering sweet nothings at him that instantly induced his genuine smile, Cara's face faltered.

And when Richard whispered something back and kissed his lover on her cheek, Cara could not bring herself to see anything anymore.

The Mord'Sith turned her head to the other side where the Wizard resided, hoping that his silly antics could cure her uncomfortable, fluctuating emotions. Emotions that she never wished to have.

But it was no use.

The Confessor affected her too much, and she didn't even know how or why. Gulping her mug in one go, the Mord'Sith then slammed it down with a little too much force than needed- but luckily the tavern was too loud for anyone to notice.

Taking a deep breath, the blonde woman closed her eyes, tuning her surroundings out from her mind so that she could analyze the one thing that had always haunting her until now;

_What does she really feels for Kahlan?_

All of their memories replaying in Cara's head; about her first encounter with the Confessor, how she wanted to hurt her as much as the loathed looks the brunette had given her, how much she wanted to just beat the brunette to the ground whenever her righteous attitude were forced on her, how shocked she was when Kahlan decided to spare her life during the trial, how annoyingly often the Confessor reminded her that she needed to have compassion in others, how she admired the brunette when she was willing to side with her against her own sister- whom Cara had personally killed, how impressed she was when Kahlan was willing and successful in enduring her Agiels' power, how uncomfortable she was when Cara finally admitted that she had considered Kahlan as her friend, and how surprisingly they synced together- side by side in battle against their enemies.

At that last memory, Cara immediately opened her eyes with her gaze automatically directing itself towards Kahlan.

_No. _

_No, no, no, no, no._

Widening her eyes in horror of what she had discovered but very unwillingly to accept, Cara kept on berating herself; trying to look for another explanation or any way to dismiss the fact that had just came to her realization. When she agitatedly found none, she braced herself- to _really look_ at the Mother Confessor; telling herself that if she was indeed going crazy about it, it's better to really ensure of its existence before getting worked up for no reason.

So the Mord'Sith waited.

Waiting for the Mother Confessor to reply her gaze.

In which, after a few minutes, the brunette did. A pair of sapphires met dark emeralds.

And when Cara looked deeply into Kahlan's eyes; she has finally got her answer.

Instantly, the Mord'Sith felt like she wanted to throw up, or that she's going mental, having the urge to kill someone; or resorting to something as pitiful as wailing, even.

_**Creator;**_

She honestly couldn't handle it, so the blonde woman abruptly stood up from her chair and ran out from the tavern; leaving the brunette frowning in confusion as to what just happened.

In the most secluded area of her mind, Cara agonizingly admitted;

_**...I am falling for her.**_


	7. G

**AN: So... here's a new one. Thanks for the reviews, favs, and follows, I love you guys. ;) Have a good day y'all.**

**GISA103: Thanks, hope you'll find this one's good too :)  
wkgreen: Hopefully she'll be alright :P thanks for reviewing too! :)  
Eric: Thanks, and yes, we all hoped for that :)  
chickinwhite: Well, I do hope you'll like the next chapter, if not then I'm not doing my job, lol :D thanks! :)  
rediver: Welcome, and thanks for reviewing! :) Hopefully she's not the only one, or... well, can't give out the good stuff now, can I? :P**

**DISCLAIMER: SO I'M MEOWING AND THERE"S STILL NO CATS AROUND. THIS IS SAD.**

* * *

**Gone**

Two days after Richard's birthday party, the group finally continue their journey to Aydindril. The Mord'Sith had insisted that they should have started from yesterday, but the Wizard was too fond of the tavern meal to leave immediately; while the Mother Confessor and the Seeker had no problems with staying a little more than necessary because it's the only opportunity they got to spend some quality time with each other in private.

During their continued journey, Kahlan noticed that the Mord'Sith was a little bad-tempered than usual. Well, a lot, actually. Especially towards her. Whenever she tried to make a decent conversation with the blonde woman, the only response she got was either a glare; or being completely ignored. And yes, she had tried to touch the other woman- a friendly pat on the shoulder to ask what's the matter with her; but the Mord'Sith shrugged her advances violently, and Kahlan was certain that she heard a snarl at one point.

The Mother Confessor would be lying if she said that she was not affected by her counterpart's attitude. In fact, she was fuming. Whatever it was, confusion, embarrassment, frustration, hurt; all of them fuelling to a single emotion, anger. The Confessor knew better than to be angry at the seemingly grumpy Mord'Sith- since having two loggerheads rather than one won't do them any good, but from the way Cara treated her; it was impossible to not feel anything akin to anger towards the blonde woman. Kahlan almost snapped at Cara later that evening, but fortunately her lover's presence was able to hold her back- saying that Cara just being Cara and they all need to be patient with her.

Of course, she was not dumb enough to take that excuse, but she conceded nonetheless when she remembered that between her and Cara; the most stubborn woman would be the latter. Raising voices was not the rational solution. But still;

_Whenever she's with the Mord'Sith, nothing seems rational anymore._

As for Richard, the sudden grumpiness his companion showed him was rather alerting. The blonde woman had always been grumpy before, yes; but this was nothing like it. With each passing day, it was getting hard to talk to the Mord'Sith without her snapping or storming off. His grandfather had concluded that maybe it was a woman thing that would come to pass in a week or so, and yes, he knew exactly what Zedd meant by that. But somehow, he felt that this was not that.

Luckily enough the Mord'Sith still listens to him, she still does her routine and answers when he questions; except when he tried to ask about her current behavior- then he got nothing. And from his observations, the blonde woman still jabbed her sarcasms towards Zedd; which was pretty normal, so it's not really that big of a deal, yes?

But when he put Kahlan in the circle, Cara's grumpiness emerged and Kahlan's face expressions become sour.

So he concluded that both women had issues with each other- and as a man, he wisely chose to stay away from that circle. Unless they want him to sort it out for them…

Which he really hoped they won't.

* * *

"From this distance," Richard threw his gaze towards the outline of buildings that was barely visible- thanks to the trees and bushes that were disrupting his line of view, he hypothesized, "…it may takes us two days to reach the town upfront, three even."

"Then move faster." Cara tightened the grip on her bagpack before she moved forward, but soon halted by Zedd's whine, "Can you spare my legs a few minutes? We've been walking non-stop since this morning, and my stomach needs something to hold on to."

Turning her head towards the Wizard, the Mord'Sith raised her right eyebrow; "His new way to ask for food, why am I not surprised."

"I spoke of nothing but the truth! Can't you see my legs are wobbling right now?"

"You wearing a robe."

"Fine then, I'll-" Rolling her eyes before turning away from the old man, Cara held her right hand out as a gesture that she wanted the Wizard to stop whatever he was planning to do. "Please don't show your frangible legs to me. It's hard enough to see you walk."

"Frangible?! Young lady, I'll have you know that these mighty legs-" The Mord'Sith made a face at that before cutting his sentence. "_Mighty? _Seriously? You really just called your-"

Deciding wisely that he needs to stop this banter before it grows further than anyone would've liked, Richard stepped in and patted the blonde woman's left shoulder; "Alriiiiight, let's all cool down together, shall we?" Shooting Cara a stern gaze and sending an apologetic look towards his grandfather, Richard truly hoped that they would put the matter down.

After few seconds passed by; the slumping of Cara's shoulders and a light huff from Zedd told Richard that they have settled down for now. The Lord Rahl sighed in relief before stating, "I agree with Zedd. We have been travelling too long, and the sun will probably set in a few minutes. Why don't we camp here for the night, and continue at the first light tomorrow?"

"Why, thank you my boy, at least you're seeing the logic."

The Mord'Sith glared hazardously towards the Wizard, daring him to gloat even more. And of course, the Wizard turned away quickly, not wanting to indulge himself in a glaring contest that he will always lose anyway.

The Seeker realized that Cara was biting her retort back- out of respect to his wish where he wanted both of them to stop bickering; so Richard smiled genuinely and muttered his thanks towards the blonde woman for being patient enough. Mord'Siths weren't known by their patience, and that's why the bronze-haired man truly appreciates Cara's efforts.

Letting her bagpack slowly fell on the ground, the Mord'Sith sighed heavily to no one in particular and laid her bedroll out. She was about to volunteer to hunt for their dinner, but the other woman beat her to it.

"I'm going to find us dinner." The Confessor stated, leaving no room for arguments. The Wizard just stared at Kahlan in curiosity, the Mord'Sith paused in arranging her bedroll; while the Seeker blinked his eyes a few times before responding, "Uh…alright then. Be safe. And shout if you need us, okay?"

Kahlan nodded once before striding towards the forest, Richard gazing at the Confessor's figure in confusion, Cara kept her eyes shielded from the brunette, while Zedd observed them inquisitively.

After a few moments passed; the Mord'Sith stood up, eyes instilling towards her Lord.

Noticing the stare, Richard looked at the source and asked, "Yes, Cara?"

Clenching her fist for a second before opening it up again, the blonde woman remarked, "You should follow her."

"…why? She never asks to be followed."

"And she never volunteers to hunt before."

"So? Maybe she wants a little time to herself?"

"Just go and take care of her, Richard."

A little confused with the way Cara urging him to go after Kahlan- and not to mention the choice of words too, the Seeker frowned. Just as he wanted to voice his concern, the Mord'Sith's tone pressed on,

"Find Kahlan."

Although he was still frowning, the Lord Rahl finally concurred; thinking that if his friend was urging him to find his lover this much, there might be possibilities of something going wrong with Kahlan's hunt. Besides, she rarely hunted before, perhaps there's a reason or two behind it? All these thoughts running through Richard's mind, and these thoughts were the ones that pushing him to follow Cara's recommendation.

Zedd was watching the entire exchanges from his spot, and when his grandson finally fled into the forest to search for the Confessor, the Wizard boldly asked:

"So we're finally alone. Are you going to kill me, or do you wish to talk?"

The look that the Wizard received from the Mord'Sith after asking her that almost made him regretted opening his mouth in the first place. An uncomfortable silence ensued for a moment, before the blonde woman replied; "Maybe both. How do you know that I wanted to be alone with you in the first place?"

The double-entendre she found in her words made her grimace instantly.

Chuckling slightly, the gray-haired man answered, "You, telling Richard to take care of Kahlan, more than once; any wise man could have noticed it right away. But since my grandson is too blind with his love towards Kahlan, he could not detect your trick, resulting to him following your lead."

In a low tone, Cara muttered, "I do meant what I've said."

"Sorry, what was that?"

Clearing her throat, the blonde woman sat on the grass near her bagpack while fixing her gaze on the Wizard; "I need to ask you something."

"I have assumed that much. Carry on."

"Where can I find Shota?"

Zedd's eyes widened, clearly taken aback by that sudden question. "Why do you wish to find her?"

"My reasons are not your concern."

The Wizard crossed his arms to his chest, "It is my concern too, especially when it is me that you asked."

Sighing in defeat, Cara looked away. "I have some questions that could only be answered by her."

Feeling somewhat belittled, the Wizard of First Order frowned, "What, am I not eligible enough to answer your questions?"

"It's personal."

Knowing that he couldn't possibly force the Mord'Sith to open up to him, especially when she had said that it was personal; now it was the Wizard's turn to sigh. "I believe you know that she is not to be trusted. Can't you just find another person, _anyone at all_, that is a little more trustworthy than her?"

Narrowing her eyes towards the man in front of her, Cara spoke, "I know very well how she is. But she's the only one I can talk to about these… _questions_," The Mord'Sith closed her eyes, before opening it back to look directly into the Wizard's eyes; to let him know that she really needs to do this, "…and I need these questions to be sorted out as soon as possible."

Sincerity was illustrated from the emerald eyes in front of him, and the Wizard didn't have the heart to decline her request. "I don't know where you can find her. But I can find her for you."

A small smile ghosting on her lips before the blonde woman thanked the Wizard.

* * *

Watching the Mord'Sith packed her bedroll back into her bag, Zedd asked, "You're leaving now?"

Cara replied while going on with her task, "We're now situated at Agaden Reach's mountains; it would take me four days or more to reach Tamarang foothills if I didn't start my journey now."

"You could at least wait until Richard and Kahlan are here."

"It's better if I don't."

"Why?"

Shouldering her bagpack, Cara threw a glance at the man before turning towards the direction they have treaded before, "I will catch up sooner or later."

"How do you know where we are at that time?"

No response.

"Cara?"

The woman's figure vanished quickly into the mountain road without giving him any audible response.

* * *

Kahlan was removing the arrow from the poor rabbit when Richard found her. The bronze-haired man called out her name, while sweats were covering his stubby face. A smile quickly graced down on the Confessor's lips, as her lover approached her.

"What are you doing here?"

"I…you seemed troubled before. So I thought it would be best if I accompany you while you're hunting."

"I'm fine. But it's a good thing though that you're here, I can't bring myself to skin this animal off."

The Seeker smiled before taking the dagger that Kahlan passed to him. When he was done, the couple walked back towards their camp, surmising that this skinned rabbit was enough for their dinner tonight. Hopefully his grandfather would be pleased, or else they have to hunt again.

The Lord Rahl glanced at his love, "Are you sure that you're okay?"

Meeting his eyes, the Mother Confessor smiled softly, "I'm okay, really. Why would you think that something is wrong with me?"

"It's just that… you rarely hunt before. And with what Cara said-"

This peaked an interest within the brunette. "Cara? What did Cara say to you?"

"Well, she said that I should go find you and take care of you… which is very confusing, really. It's not like her to say such things. That is why I went to search for you in the first place."

"Take care of me? That is… rather unusual." Because really, the same Mord'Sith that was clearly showing her hatred towards her these past few days; asking Richard to take care of her. _Is this some kind of personality disorder or what?_

Feeling as though there might be some clues that she was missing, the brunette asked her lover to repeat what Cara had said to him- one by one. The man found it to be ridiculous, but complied to her wishes regardless.

"She said, _**go and take care of her**_, and, what was it… ah, _**find Kahlan**_. It was pretty weird, isn't it?"

The Confessor paid him no attention while she was contemplating the words that Cara had said. She was sure that there was some kind of underlying message- in Cara's style; but she couldn't figure out what it was. Those days before, the said woman was so cold towards her, wrathful even; that every little thing she said to her could set her temper off the charts, not to mention her touches- the blonde woman would definitely be enraged.

But there were few occasions that she caught the Mord'Sith staring at her, not the usual glare- but just a mere stare, almost looked like remorseful even; but she couldn't identify it for sure because the blonde woman would always turn her head away whenever she was found out. That look she gave her and the words she said to Richard about her, there's just something missing, and she couldn't put her finger on it. Kahlan reminisced all of their memories together to study the Mord'Sith behavior, and there was no clue granted to her at all. The only memory she could think of when Cara said something unpredictable or unusual; was when the Mord'Sith was hiding a secret from the rest of them or when she wanted to run away.

_And that was then, surely she didn't-_

The Seeker noticed that the Confessor had stopped walking. He turned to her before asking, "Kahlan? Is everything alright? What is it?"

A hard stare bored into his gray-coloured eyes, before his love spoke, "We have to hurry." And with that, the Mother Confessor sprinted towards their camp's direction.

Still confused with the sudden change of demeanor but following her lead nonetheless, Richard inquired, "Why, what is it? Are we being attacked? Is there any baneling you've spotted or what?"

"No, this is not that," Kahlan breathed out while sprinting, her eyes focused ahead, "If I'm right about this," She jumped over a rotten log that was blocking her path, "…and I do hope that I'm wrong," The Confessor couldn't hide the hint of concern in her voice no more;

"…Cara's leaving."

A flicker of worry danced on Richard's eyes.

* * *

Before the couple reached their camp location, Kahlan already knew the answer to her question. The absence of the Mord'Sith's bedroll was her first hint. But her hope- _that the blonde woman is still here_; needs another proof, and when she forlornly gazed at the Wizard, the little crease on his forehead confirmed her assumption.

She's gone.


	8. H

**AN: Howdy fellas. Truth be told, this chapter was harder to write than the others, and I'm very, very sorry if the mistakes are too many. Love to see your reviews and whatnots, and am thankful for your consideration, always! ;) Have a good day y'all!**

**wkgreen: Here it is, longer than the previous ones. Enjoy! :)  
oftherose13 **and** chickinwhite: Your guesses were almost there! But well, I'm an evil writer that likes to twist everything up, hohohohoho :P Hope you'll be fine with this though, and thanks for the love! :)  
Guest: Thank you! :)  
Peter: Well... I hope so too! But my fingers didn't obey me, y'know... So... :3 Hahahahaha! Thanks! :)  
rediver: Me too! But...*cough* After a few chapters or so, maybe? Hahahahaha! Thanks! :)  
GISA103: Hope this chapter will satisfy your question, aha! :) Thanks for the love! :)**

**DISCLAIMER: AND MY KITTEN PEED ON ME. WTF WAS THAT SUPPOSED TO MEAN?! HE DISLIKED ME NOW?!**

* * *

**Hate**

Walking for two days in a row without resting was finally taking its toll towards Cara. She was extremely exhausted; both physically and emotionally. The road they have taken before, now she needs to go through it again. Perhaps if it was a smooth road- no hills or whatsoever; her tiredness would not reach its peak. But the road was awful. Too many hills for her liking, and sometimes she had to went with the longer route to avoid the steep ravines along the hillside. Fortunately, with all her trainings as a Mord'Sith have granted her a stamina that was significantly superior compared to others.

And it's definitely not helping when all the while during her independent journey, she could only think about that one person she desperately wished she won't be thinking about; not about her, or even anything that was close to the reference of her. But that was the problem, isn't it? She still did- or at least her mind was. When the Mord'Sith was contemplating on her _now-realized_ feelings towards the brunette, her body was involuntarily running instead of walking through the woods. Or when she thought about how pathetic she is due to her inability to control her own feelings, and this could be considered as a form of treason towards her Lord Rahl; the anger she felt towards herself was making her legs to do a lot of stomping forward rather than walking normally. Her conflicting emotions were tiring her in every possible way, and she just could not find a way to stop it.

Well, actually she did know how, and that is why she was on her way to find that goddamn Witch. Of course it would be easier to ask the Wizard about it first, but Cara knew that Zedd would be too curious to let the matter simmer down; and that is why she knew better than to ask for the Wizard's opinion on this matter. At least with Shota; even _if_ she daringly chooses to blab her out, her companions would have never come to believe her- since the Witch had a fairly bitter history with all of them. And that would give the blonde woman enough time to kill the old hag.

_So that no one knows about it, ever._

As the third markings of sun rose since she started her journey, the Mord'Sith could feel that her endurance was on the brink of her capabilities. With the hot rays of noon that were starting to get to her and the warm, humid air that was not helping at all, Cara had a legible hint that she was going to pass out anytime soon. But her mind was screaming that she was only a few candlemarks left from reaching Tamarang foothills, and it would be pointless if she was to stop now.

And of course, Cara always prioritizes her mind first.

So it is to be expected when she finally collapsed near the riverbank that connects to the foothill, just a little more distance from her objective.

Nevertheless, the Mord'Sith managed to curse her body with disappointment, right before her consciousness left her mind.

* * *

When Cara came to, it was not a favourable experience, to be exact.

The first thing that ran through her mind was the need to identify her surroundings- which looked quite like an old shack, her bagpack placed on the side of the nightstand, with her laying on an average-looking mattress; and there was only a single candle that had been lightened up to illuminate the room. Regardless, she was relieved to found that both her arms and legs were not cuffed, or tied, or worse; cut off. But still, she didn't have a slightest clue to where she was right now.

Secondly, she needed to feel the familiar prickling of her Agiels on her palms to calm her nerves down. So she slowly sat up, moving her hands to her side. But there's nothing to touch- and she couldn't even feel the holsters. The Mord'Sith almost stood up in a flash to go and search for it, if she didn't remember that she was in an unknown turf.

From her observations so far, she was brought unconsciously here- wherever this place might be. There's no scent of mixed smells, hence it gave her an impression that her captor worked alone. And her captor was both wise and dumb enough to seize her Agiels but left her untied. Mord'Siths weren't known for their Agiels only, you know. Their fighting skills were not to be underestimated either. So in Cara's opinion, her captor must have been a pretty confident individual. With all of these hints, there's really no need for a second contemplation, it was clear that her captor was Shota herself.

Because only the Witch was confident enough to leave her unbound, and also cunningly wise to detain her Agiels.

And soon she was proven right, when a melodious voice rang in the air, while the owner decided to take a step out from the shadows- revealing herself. "I must admit, it was a quite refreshing encounter to find you sprawled unconsciously on my territory,"

The Witch came to halt when she was a foot closer to the blonde woman, "…without your friends."

Cara stared at the woman in front of her, knowing that she couldn't afford to throw her usual snide comments if she was about to ask for her help. And boy, refraining herself from her own habits was a pure, inexplicable torture.

So she opted for the most beneficial choice on her part, "My sole objective was to find you."

A dry reply ensued. "Fascinating, and you've found me, congratulations. Now what?"

Tilting her head to the side, Cara raised her right eyebrow. "You don't seem to be surprised at all; with me coming here- _alone_, to find you."

A light snicker ensued before the Witch answered her, "I believe that I have once told your merry band that I possessed the gift of foreseeing." A short pause for Shota to examine the younger woman's reactions, before continuing, "Also three days ago, I've sensed Zeddicus' link of magic while he's tracing my own. That's how you know where to find me."

"Fair enough."

After the Mord'Sith was sure that her legs should have compensated their energy back after walking for so long, the blonde woman moved to stand up from the mattress- and was kind of amused when she noticed that the Witch stepped back warily from the bed.

Cara's right hand reached out in demand, "Give me back my Agiels."

And that induced a humorless laugh from the other woman, "You're in my domain, and yet you have the audacity to order me. "

"Well, I wouldn't have to demand anything if you hadn't took it from me in the first place."

"And you're talking as if you wouldn't do the same to me."

Both women eyed each other in equal animosity, before the blonde woman replied with a defeated sigh.

Seemingly satisfied with the young woman's answer, the Witch flicked her right hand- using her magic to telekinetically bring two nearby chairs next to them over, as a silent invitation for her guest to sit.

After they have settled down, Shota engaged first, "What do you seek me for?"

"I needed an answer."

"And the Wizard of First Order wasn't capable enough to provide it for you?"

"I couldn't ask him about this."

The Witch hummed slowly when her interests on the Mord'Sith's matter flared a little. "Alright. What is it about?"

The blonde woman leaned back into the chair, sighing heavily and contemplating if she was consulting with the right person. Well, of course this Witch was not the right person per se; but she had no choice, didn't she? It's either Shota or Zedd, and the Wizard would have gone mental if he knows-

The Witch impatiently broke her reverie, "Just so you know, I do not have all day."

And of course, the Mord'Sith's temper flung at this. She gritted her teeth in attempt to stop herself from killing the woman in front of her- since self-control was never her strong point. "Fine. But if a word of what I'm about to say gets out-"

"Save it. Despite of what you people might think of me, I have my own principles. It's rather simple really; I won't cross your path, if you don't cross mine."

Cara huffed in dissatisfaction for being interrupted, but was relieved nonetheless with the assurance that she got. Staring right through Shota's eyes, she asked;

"Is there any spell or potion that could dissipate one's feelings of affection towards the other?"

And that earned her a hard stare from the Witch.

Shota looked at the blonde woman for a long while.

Then another moment for the question to sink in.

Then another minute for her to read the blonde woman's facial expression.

After a prolonged few seconds, the Witch gave a snarky reply, "She said in all seriousness."

Feeling her wrath was starting to raise again, the Mord'Sith narrowed her eyes, "Do I look like I'm joking?"

"That is what I am trying to figure out. Is it a trick question? Or a trick in all?"

The blonde woman replied begrudgingly, "I meant every word I've said."

Shota took a few minutes to really evaluate the woman in front of her, because _really_; a Mord'Sith just came to see her, asking her about affections? If this was the Wizard's doing, she would make sure that the next time he ate a fruit- any fruit at all, she would bestow him with the greatest suffering of a lifetime. A rotten tooth here and there- or his entire teeth maybe. Or his mouth full of maggots. Or making his skin even more wrinkled that he is now. One way or another, the Wizard will pay.

That was what the Witch thought initially, but when she reassessed the whole situation; how the Mord'Sith was willing to travel a long way just to meet her- and given their history, Shota would be the last person that the blonde woman was ever willing to go to, so this question probably has a validity of some sort; wouldn't it? The Mord'Sith also agreed to let her Agiels- _and let's face it, she would have gone mental if that wretched thing was taken away from her on any day, what an unhealthy attachment_,- being temporarily detained; so there's really nothing else needed to prove that this Mord'Sith wasn't kidding, is there?

But still, a Mord'Sith- _Cara, nonetheless_- asking her about affection?

_Creator, if only she could record this moment._

The Witch exhaled warily, torn between trusting and suspecting, "So let's say, what you've asked before is justifiable-"

Cara impatiently interjects, "So there's a way to terminate it?"

Shooting daggers at the young woman, Shota countered, "Quiet and let me finish."

The blonde woman huffed indignantly while crossing her arms against her chest, and the Witch took it as a sign to continue, "Like I've said, if you really do mean what you've asked; and if the answer is yes- _if_," Shota purposely emphasized that word, "…what kind of affection are we talking about?"

A moment of pause before Cara responded, "…Love."

The Midlands' Witch clicked her tongue. "I see. And this… remedy, is for whom?"

The Mord'Sith grew silent at this, but that was what Shota is aiming for. That was all she needed to complete her deductions.

"Actually, you don't have to answer that. You have just confirmed my suspicion." A mocking laughter lingered in the air for a moment, before the Witch resumed, "The possibility of that ancient Wizard having a potential love interest is lower than zero," Cara couldn't help but smirk at that. "And as far as I remembered, the Mother Confessor and the Seeker's love are so great, that even her Confessor's powers didn't work on him." The Mord'Sith's smirk faltered.

A sly grin formed on the Witch's lips. "And that leaves you." Shota leaned back on her chair, before adding, "So, who is that lucky person? Or unlucky, one would say."

Rolling her eyes in annoyance, the Mord'Sith pressed on, "Enough with this unnecessary inquiries. I just need to know; does it exist, or not? And if it exists, can you do it?"

The Witch didn't say a word since she was in deep contemplation; and that unnerved the blonde woman even more. She really didn't need for that old hag to know more than she already has. Knowledge is power, and having this cunning Witch holding that much power over her; it would meant slavery for the rest of her life.

It took at least an hour or more- and also plenty of nagging from Cara's part for the Witch to answer her- but finally the Midlands' Witch managed to put all the pieces together. And the outcome of it was a true shocker- and extremely interesting to ponder. Shota teasingly smirked, before saying, "I've got to hand it to you, your taste for romance is impeccable."

The blonde woman almost stuttered in her sentence, "…What do you mean?"

Shota's smirk got wider. "Come now, there's no need to play coy. Witches and Wizards are trained to be perceptive, it is in our nature. After all, that is why you chose to come to me in the first place, isn't it?"

Cara's shoulder sagged in defeat, knowing that one of her worst case scenarios had come true.

And apparently, the Witch liked to aggravate her even more- since she kept on describing about what she had found out. "You have the company of a Wizard, the Wizard of First Order; yet you decided to come to me. This means that you can't possibly ask him about this matter, since you don't want him to know any of it." Cara quickly looked away; the bed seemed to be a lot more interesting than before.

"And why are you so sure that he would know if you ask him that? That means only one thing; he knows the person that you are currently in love with." The Witch studied the Mord'Sith's facial expressions while she kept going, "Zeddicus knows a lot of people, yes; but according to the information that I've gathered- your band had never stayed longer than a week in any town or road alike. And for a Mord'Sith like you to fall in love with someone, a week together is definitely not enough. So this person that you're in love with, they must be someone that had stayed considerably long enough to impress you."

The blonde woman was getting dreadfully restless by now.

"Thus, this leaves you with two people; the Mother Confessor, and the Seeker."

The Witch sneered when the other woman glared menacingly at her. "And here is the tricky part. Which of them is the one?" If only looks could kill, then Shota would have died under Cara's glower more than a thousand times already. The Midlands' Witch ran a hand through her long hair proudly before carrying on, "I took me sometime, but I managed to grasp it.

"Your devotion to the Seeker is quite heartwarming, if our previous encounter was any indication. Apart from that, your relationship with his future wife was somewhat strained and barely tolerable from what I remembered, so it is only sensible if the person you're in love with is Richard Cypher."

A breath of relief almost managed to worm its way out of Cara's nose, but the Witch's next sentence made her breath hitch.

"But of course, it's not him."

Another intense glower sent from Cara to Shota, as if she was daring the Witch to say it out loud, and silently hoping that the old hag won't. But she did anyway.

"You're in love with the Confessor."

Both of Cara's balling fists were turning white, akin to her current emotion. But Shota ignored this and continued anyway. "Do you wish to know what gave you away?"

The Mord'Sith didn't answer, but when her angry frown turned into a confused one, the Witch smirked devilishly.

"When I mentioned of the Seeker, your face was portraying a form of dedication, and your jaw softened accordingly. But when I spoke of the Mother Confessor, your face became impassive. A trained kind of impassive, at that. I know this, because I often wear that mask on my face a long time ago. So then, there's your winner." Shota paused for a moment, before playfully adding, "But I got to ask, how did that happen?"

Thoroughly fuming, the Mord'Sith stood up, almost knocking the chair down in the process. She really wanted to make this infuriating Witch into a cripple or six foot under preferably, but since her weapon was not with her, plus the Witch could easily told the Wizard about what she had just found out through their magic linking crap before she managed to kill the said woman; Cara opted to lash her anger out towards a nearby tree later on, when she's outside already. "If you can't answer, you should've told me earlier so I wouldn't have to waste my time listening to your incessant yapping. Now where's my Agiels? Give them back to me."

Immensely amused by the blonde woman but deciding that she would stop for now- since the Mord'Sith still got the ability to kill her because of her specialty in deflecting magic; Shota snapped her fingers, and Cara's Agiels within their holsters were back where they belong, strapped around the Mord'Sith's waist.

Cara instantly touched her weapons, wanted to know if these are the real thing or not. When a jolt of prickling pain spreading on her palms, it told her that at least the Witch had the decency to return her belongings back; and for that, she would not harm the old hag for the time being, even though the thought of it was extremely enticing. The Mord'Sith shouldered her bagpack instantly and was about to exit the shack, but came to a halt when the Witch called her;

"About your question earlier," The blonde woman felt a pull of hope that stopped her tracks, and she was waiting for Shota to continue without bothering to face the old woman.

"…there is no spell or potion that could dissipate one's love. When it comes to love, that is the one thing that witchcrafts in any existing world cannot overcome. If in terms of controlling a person like a puppet, yes; but other than that, no." The Witch paused, looking at the young woman's deflating figure. "But if you're willing to listen, I have an advice."

The Mord'Sith still didn't turn around to face her, but she didn't walk out either. That was enough for Shota to predict her unspoken decision, so she stated;

"I understand your need to seek a remedy for such feelings, since the Seeker had your loyalty first, and for a reason that I could not comprehend; now your heart is with the Confessor. But should you choose to pursue your feelings, you have to do it right- _for your own sake_."

The Witch paused as a flash of old memory danced in the back of her mind. Shaking her head in order to push it away, Shota solidified her eyes and focus on the blonde woman in front of her before continuing, "This is probably not the answer that you're searching for, but it was proven effective nonetheless; that is, if you try hard enough and stick to it."

Cara waited for the Witch to resume.

"If you want your feelings for her to dissipate," Shota kept on examining the Mord'Sith's body languages, wanting to predict what she would probably decide later on.

"…_Hate _her."

The Mord'Sith clenched her teeth so hard that her jaw suffered a momentarily cramp.

"_Hate _her with all your might."

Cara's left hand travelled quickly to her left holster, gripping one of her Agiels tightly; hoping that the pain on her palm would match with the pain she felt inside.

"_Hate_ all that there is about her, even the way she breathes."

Unfortunately, it's not enough. The pain inside of her was too much.

"_Hate_ her, until her mere presence suffocates you."

The blonde woman felt a searing sting on her eyes, and it made her chew the inside of her cheeks.

As a final reminder, Shota emphasized her words clearly;

"_Hate_ her… Until you want to _kill_ her."

And that finality caused a pair of emerald eyes become glossy, leaving her with a blurry vision.

The Midlands' Witch turned away from the blonde woman's figure with an amused smirk on her lips before adding, "The choice is yours to make."

After finished listening to the Witch's seemingly appropriable advice, the Mord'Sith closed her eyes briefly before opening them back with a renewed determination;

_...feelings be damned._


End file.
